Over the past few years, I have heard so many myths and lies about Planned Parenthood that I could scream. Most are made up sound bites that exist to prove someone else’s not so hidden agenda.
This week we will be displaying the 5 Myths about Planned Parenthood from the Washington Post. I plan on doing 1 or 2 a day which gives everyone time to digest and discuss each one.
1. Planned Parenthood’s federal funding frees up other money to pay for abortions.
Opponents of Planned Parenthood insist that giving the organization federal dollars allows it to spend other money in its budget to provide abortions. That is not possible — there is no other money.
Title X is a federal grant program that exists solely to help low-income and uninsured people access contraceptives and sexual health care; 5.2 million people use the program annually. But Congress has never appropriated enough money to take care of the estimated 17 million Americans who need publicly funded family-planning care. There always are more patients than subsidies.
Further, a Title X grant is designed to help with costs, not to fully cover them. So family-planning programs are required to find other money to support the Title X project — not the other way around. For patients who qualify for Medicaid, reimbursement rates for reproductive health services are lower than the cost of the care. A typical family-planning visit might cost upward of $200, including the exam, lab tests and contraceptive method, but the Medicaid reimbursement rate may be as low as $20.
This information is something your anti choice legislators do not want you to know. Usually those who oppose abortion also oppose contraception and/or programs that provide contraception to women and teens.
Title X was authorized nearly 40 years ago and signed into law by President Richard Nixon.
The best way to prevent abortion is to prevent unwanted pregnancy. That sounds like an over-simplification of the obvious, but some people apparently do not get it. As we approach Roe v Wade week which brings the circus to down. let’s keep focused on the real issues which would be to make sure abortions aren’t needed. that would do away with most of the problem. Keep abortion safe, legal, and infrequent.
Stay tuned for parts 2-5 of Planned Parenthood myths.
